FIRE AND BLOOD ( CHAPTER FOUR ) "DON'T YOU SAY IT, ONE BREATH, IT'LL JUST BREAK IT"
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290, WINTERFELL
WHEN NED STARK SAW THE TARGARYEN SEAL, HE HAD THOUGHT HE WAS HALLUCINATING becausethere was no way that a raven from King's Landing would have a Targaryen sigil. Unfortunately, he had not been hallucinating because one look up at Maester Luwin's pale face made him realize that this was entirely real. Dreadfully, he broke the seal and read the letter:
Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, Warden of the North,
The presence of your noble house is requested immediately in King's Landing to swear fealty to the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Queen Aerea of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
"What is it?" Maester Luwin asked, obviously noticing something was wrong because Ned swore that his face must have been of a deathlike pallor. Aerea Targaryen? She's the one that disappeared during the Sack of King's Landing. Everyone had thought her dead.
After a moment of silence, unsuccessfully trying to let the words on the paper sink into his head, Ned finally looked up and said numbly, "Our house has been summoned to King's Landing to swear fealty to the new queen."
Maester Luwin looked at Ned in slight disbelief, "New queen? What happened to the king? Who is the new queen?"
Ned just shook his head, "There's no word on the king," he said quietly, "and the new queen is Aerea Targaryen."
~~~
290, KING'S LANDING
"I wish my grandmother was here," Willas Tyrell sighed mournfully from where he was sitting by the fireplace. Aerea looked up at him, amused and he shot her an irritated look, "She would know how to deal with all of these lords."
Aerea fell back onto her bed, rolling her eyes, knowing he was right. Already, the major houses from the Crownlands, the Celtigars, the Velaryons and Stokeworths, had arrived in King's Landing along with the rest of the Baratheons and their two largest vassals, the Dondarrions of Blackhaven and the Tarths of Evenfall Hall. Jon Arryn's wife, Lysa Arryn, the Baelishes and the Hardyngs would arrive early tomorrow and the Tullys, the Freys and the Whents would arrive late tomorrow, according to Varys, as would Tywin Lannister, the Westerlings and the Sarsfields. Tywin Lannister was also supposed to be bringing the Mountain and Amory Lorch, which Aerea was genuinely excited for.
Aerea honestly wasn't sure what to do--she had already gotten oaths of loyalty from the houses that had arrived and they were all staying in the Red Keep until everyone else arrived because Varys had advised she either throw a feast or tourney for them all, which she really hadn't wanted to do because the Usurper had already driven the crown into debt.
